Insanity

Just before Geraldus could leave Marrionette to her work, she once again praised him.

"Master truly is amazing. His foresight know's no bounds and his inventions and creations are beyond expectations!"

Geraldus was confused by what she meant. What 'inventions' could she be referring to? Other than Marrionette herself, Geraldus has not 'made' anything else. So far he has only studied the biology of humans in this world by dissecting and conducting multiple tests on bodies, human bodies included.

Wether the person be dead or alive, none were discriminated against when they were being studied under Geraldus. The reason behind his expertise and fascination in human biology was because in his past life, Geraldus was once a medical student graduate.

However, before he could become the doctor he always aspired to be, his life was cut short by a drunk truck driver. How ironic, a man who became a doctor to save lives couldn't even save himself. It was that irony that caused Geraldus to realise to foolishness of aspiring to be anything.

For death will always be lingering behind every corner.

Love?

Honor?

Power?

Glory?

Reputation?

What is the point of such petty wants if everything is going to end abruptly in death? Unless... you gained the power to deny death.

Unless you gained the power of immortality.

Until Geraldus conquered death, nothing else in life held any meaning to him.

"Master? This one is getting concerned by your silence..."

As Geraldus got lost in thought, Marrionette suddenly spoke up again. With his focus once again on the present, Geraldus asked Marrionette a question.

"What do you mean by my creations and inventions are beyond expectations? Apart from you, I didn't invent or even create anything and counting you as an invention is kind of stretching things."

However, as soon as Geraldus finished explaining himself. He noticed the sparkle in Marrionettes eyes. It didn't take any effort to decipher her thoughts. [She's going to say something along the lines of "Master is truly humble. This one feels lucky that she serves such a benevolent and gracious master" isn't she?]. And soon enough, he was proven correct.

"Master is truly humble. This one feels lucky that she serves such a benevolent and gracious master"

As Marrionette said this, she once again fell to her knees and clasped her hands together, as if she was praying to a god.

"This one's master is only at the young age of nine and yet he brought forth new and innovative concepts and ideas! Such innovations like the slave inscriptions onto brain tissue or inventions like the 'ser-inge' prove his prodigious genius intellect and yet he's still so modest and humble!"

[Oh so that's what she's talking about...] Geraldus quickly understood where her lavish praise was coming from. While it does seem innovative to outsiders, Geraldus felt that he couldn't take any credit from his so-called 'innovations.'

Inscribing the slave control runes onto the subject's brain tissue? Oh please. Geraldus was sure that many others probably already thought of this concept but their misplaced sense of morality clouded their judgement. Even though slaves were seen as nothing more than physical property rather than human lifes, Geraldus knew that what he did would be classed as 'heresy.'

As for the syringe, as a medical student graduate, the structure and function of a syringe was common knowledge to him. As noble it wasn't hard to make a special order to the blacksmith and the tanner to make the metal syringe and leather tube respectively.

After all, in this era, those who were born of noble blood had nigh-omnipotent power over the commoners. Geraldus was no different. As the son of the 'Parafilodox' family which despite its ridiculous name, was still a count family and thus still held power even over other nobles.

With this in mind, Geraldus knew that the morally correct thing to do would be for him to oppose Marrionette's zealous devotion to him. However, he realised that things such as 'morality' was pointless long ago. As long as he can achieve his goal. As long as he can achieve immortality, everything else was meaningless.

"Marrionette... While I find your lavish praises amusing, perhaps it would be better if you would instead use that energy to complete what I have asked of you?"

When Marrionette heard what Geraldus said, he noticed a slight blush appear on her cheeks that was very uncharacteristic of her. [From the way she normally acts, you'd forget that she's actually human... somehow I'm glad that she showed some human characteristics.]

After a short while, Marrionette bowed before she turned to walk to the cabinet containing all the alchemic materials. As she grabbed the 'black water' which Geraldus judged to actually be oil, she answered Geraldus' question.

"As you wish my lord. Is there anything el-"

"No there isn't. I will be going back upstairs now. If anyone comes down, make sure that everything that's classified is safe."

After a bow, she once again answered with the exact same response.

"As you wish my lord."

As Geraldus walked through the halls of his lab, he heard the echoes of slaves screaming either in pain, fear or insanity. It really depends on the experiment that Geraldus 'nominated' them for. Although, calling this place 'his lab' would be stretching things.

In truth, the lab was actually the castle dungeons that he had converted for alchemic purposes. While his family soon came to regret giving up ownership they had no choice but to leave him be for now. After all, the law protected him.

After Geraldus opened the cellar door to exit the dungeon lab, he was greeted with the face of a smiling servant. However, Geraldus knew better. He saw in those eyes nothing more than fear and contempt for the young noble boy in front of him.

"Back from the dungeons already my Lord?"

"Of course I am Stannis. I don't want to starve to death after all."

"Tch... Why do you don't everyone a favour and do just that?"

While Stannis cursed Geraldus under his breath, Geraldus saw no point in berating him for it. So what if this lowly servant disgraced his noble blood? Geraldus never really cared about his image anyway so why should he now?

Geraldus simply ignored the servant and continued walking towards the banquet hall to eat. Judging from the lack of light coming form the windows, it must be nighttime and therefore dinner time now.

It didn't take long for Geraldus to be sitting at the dining table with the rest of his family. While in his past life, he would have loved to talk and get close with his family, here he knew that, that would be a futile attempt. They despise him. Perhaps they even wish that he was never born.

Nevertheless it didn't change the fact that they were family and the laws of noble society that deem noble blood 'too precious to be spilt.' This means that they couldn't kill him no matter how much they wanted to.

Due to his strained relationship with his family, Geraldus simply preferred to eat silently unless spoken to. Apparantly now was one of those times.

"I'm surprised... I didn't think that I would see the day where that little human dog of yours wouldn't be by your side. Tch, is she even human?"

When Geraldus turned to the source of the voice, he saw his sister. A girl in her mid-teens with long flowing bleach-white hair. She didn't even try to hide her hatred for her younger brother, instead displaying her disgusted face and furious glare for all to see.

Despite Geraldus knowing that he should not be paying her any mind, he still felt that childish albeit somewhat twisted desire to tease her.

"Of course she's human. Do you think that if she were anything else some slave market dealer would have been able to deal with her? Oh and, Adellian I would like to politely ask you to stop calling her a 'human dog,' she just works really hard you know?"

While it could be said that the Geraldus told to true, in truth his sentence was misleading. The 'she's' in his sentence meant 'she was' not 'she is.' Although Marrionnette was still classed as human by the priests and mages that Geraldus' family dragged her to, Geraldus himself would actually class her as something more.

Due to his combined study of biology and surgery from his first life and the study of magic and alchemy is his second, Geraldus has perfected the method of surgical physical augmentation. Thanks to magic and science combined, Geraldus gained the ability to gift artificial strength by realigning muscle and bones to 'maximise performance.'

"Works really hard? Is that referring to that stupid training you put her through or what?"

"Of course it's the training. If she wants to serve me well she has to be in peak physical condition... I thought as noble you knew that?"

"Tch."

While Addellian clicked her tongue, Geraldus stopped the smile from forming on his face. Although he did augment Marrionette's strength, he also forced her through rigorous training. This is because while the augmentations increased her base physical ability, it also increased her potential physical ability.

After all, he didn't grant her with any extra muscle mass or tightened any muscle tissue, he only realigned them to increase their efficiency. Therefore, thanks to her augmentations and his potions which grant stamina, Marrionette was able to train even beyond her already high limits.

When she wasn't follow his orders she was training. She would push her body to the brink of collapse before drinking more of his stamina potions and starting all over again. She would become an unstoppable fighting force, both in terms of magic and physical prowess.

After all, she was his very first masterpiece.